Question: At what point does Casey have to adjust his style and strategy?

I feel like I can sum up the Raptors season in one sentence: this was the season of jamming square pegs in round holes.

Casey has been consistent and steadfast in his approach to the game on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, the Raptors are finishing their 5th consecutive season of no meaningful March/April games and Casey is a measly 2.5 win percentage points ahead of last season. Adding insult to injury there is likely no lottery pick this year and the Raptors are in danger of finishing behind the tied for 7th worse overall from last season. Perhaps the ultimate slap in the face is the Raptors have dropped in just about every defensive category - an area Casey is suppose to hang his hat on.

After reading Eric Koreen's article this morning from the National Post, I can't help thinking: At what point does Casey have to adjust his style and strategy? Despite everything there is more talent on this season's roster. Please don't blame the rooks, they have hardly been given a chance this season due to Casey's lack of trust in rookies and JV's injury.

If there is one player who embodies the tension between the coaching staff and the analytics’ staff that was exposed in this week’s grantland.com piece on the Raptors, it is Lowry. The numbers say that Lowry’s offensive game ensures the Raptors will use their possessions more efficiently. However, the turnovers, lack of ball movement and occasional chaos that reliance on Lowry can create can be torturous for a coach to sit through, particularly as a team struggles to win.

What the Raptors have been left with is a point guard who is more or less running the team as designed, but without a gung-ho joie de vivre. Casey is pleased with his progress, but Lowry has not necessarily killed the perception that can be a mercurial presence around a team.

Lowry will drive you crazy if you let him. His shot selection looks and feels random at times, even though he is cagier than he will ever let on. He certainly is not Calderonian in his countenance, either. Yet, as this year has gone, he has slowly earned Casey’s trust.

In accomplishing that, however, he has lost a bit of himself. Accordingly, it is tough to say whether this version of Lowry is worth sticking with as the point guard of the team’s future.

Lowry is not perfect but he has had more success as a starting NBA PG than Casey has had as a head coach. That is not saying much but Casey seems to be stuck on the idea that his way is the 'right' way when the standings and the effort from the team of late tell a very different tale.

I always thought one of the jobs of a head coach was to maximize the talent on his roster. It is my opinion Casey has failed in that regard this season.

He's making Kyle Lowry play like Jose and its ruining our offense big time. He dribbles it to half court then dumps it to DeRozan or Gay and they ISO on either the left or right wing. Its becoming painful and boring to watch, no movement whatsoever. The defense is also much worse from last year and we leave shooters open way too often. This team is just a train wreck, we have no identity and half the time it seems like Casey has no idea what he's doing on offense.

This team reminds me of the Kevin O'neill Raptors team. Isolation every plays, no ball movement, bad shots after bad shots, Casey simply has no idea what he's doing on offense.

Defensively, they've regressed big time. And like you said, the Raptors are 2.5 win percentage points ahead of last season. That is terrible because this team in my opinion is much more talented than last year's team. Lowry in my opinion is a downgrade over Jose but they now have Gay, JV, Ross, Fields, Anderson and Amir Johnson is an MIP candidate this year.

This team reminds me of the Kevin O'neill Raptors team. Isolation every plays, no ball movement, bad shots after bad shots, Casey simply has no idea what he's doing on offense.

Defensively, they've regressed big time. And like you said, the Raptors are 2.5 win percentage points ahead of last season. That is terrible because this team in my opinion is much more talented than last year's team. Lowry in my opinion is a downgrade over Jose but they now have Gay, JV, Ross, Fields, Anderson and Amir Johnson is an MIP candidate this year.

I respect your opinion here and am not being confrontational sometimes that needs to go with saying....

I very much agree Lowry is a downgrade from Jose when you are asking Lowry to play like Jose. If you let Lowry play his game, then I think Lowry is a better player. Jose is still a better point guard but Lowry is a better player.

I respect your opinion here and am not being confrontational sometimes that needs to go with saying....

I very much agree Lowry is a downgrade from Jose when you are asking Lowry to play like Jose. If you let Lowry play his game, then I think Lowry is a better player. Jose is still a better point guard but Lowry is a better player.

The position he plays is point guard, so how is he a better player if he isn't a better point guard?

IMO, for the first time in his career, Lowry is trying to adapt to being a team player (which would help to be a good PG), rather than a ball-hawking, gambling streetballer. I hope he continues to grow in that direction and it pays dividends next year.

The position he plays is point guard, so how is he a better player if he isn't a better point guard?

IMO, for the first time in his career, Lowry is trying to adapt to being a team player (which would help to be a good PG), rather than a ball-hawking, gambling streetballer. I hope he continues to grow in that direction and it pays dividends next year.

The game he plays is basketball and he possesses more skills in the overall game of basketball thus making him a better basketball player.

What makes Lowry a special player is what he is being asked not to do. He has been dicked around so much this year he can't even throw a lob pass, pitch the ball ahead, or consistently attack the rim anymore. Earlier in the season that is what was making him such a breath of fresh air. His confidence and thus his decision making is noticeably shaken. The Raptors roster has been comprised of players needing to be spoon fed for years hence the pounding the shit out of the ball waiting for guys to curl off screens for set shots. This comes back to Casey not playing to the strengths of his roster.

The Raptors have been in dire need of a talent upgrade and now that they have it, Casey hasn't the sweetest clue how to use it.

The position he plays is point guard, so how is he a better player if he isn't a better point guard?

IMO, for the first time in his career, Lowry is trying to adapt to being a team player (which would help to be a good PG), rather than a ball-hawking, gambling streetballer. I hope he continues to grow in that direction and it pays dividends next year.

But that's the thing, even Lowry's supposed superior all-around game is mediocre. He only plays good defense when he feels that he needs to (guarding CP3 etc.). I can't even count how many times I've facepalmed over his stupid constant reach in fouls.

I respect your opinion here and am not being confrontational sometimes that needs to go with saying....

I very much agree Lowry is a downgrade from Jose when you are asking Lowry to play like Jose. If you let Lowry play his game, then I think Lowry is a better player. Jose is still a better point guard but Lowry is a better player.

Don't think. This is true. Seriously, the talent in Lowry is far better than Jose's. No disrespect to him though, because he is the better floor general. That's where the difference lies.

At this point, Casey needs to change the system, or he needs to go. I'm asking myself all the time, "why did he ask him to have a bit of Calderon in him?" That's definitely not a very good coaching move in my opinion. You have to let a player be himself. You can't change someone half way into their NBA career.

Lowry averaged more assists in Houston, which says alot to how their offense was run. Now he's being forced to play Jose-like, and his numbers are all down (plus the team is losing more). The system right now is just not getting the most out of its players

The game he plays is basketball and he possesses more skills in the overall game of basketball thus making him a better basketball player.

What makes Lowry a special player is what he is being asked not to do. He has been dicked around so much this year he can't even throw a lob pass, pitch the ball ahead, or consistently attack the rim anymore. Earlier in the season that is what was making him such a breath of fresh air. His confidence and thus his decision making is noticeably shaken. The Raptors roster has been comprised of players needing to be spoon fed for years hence the pounding the shit out of the ball waiting for guys to curl off screens for set shots. This comes back to Casey not playing to the strengths of his roster.

The Raptors have been in dire need of a talent upgrade and now that they have it, Casey hasn't the sweetest clue how to use it.

So you give it that Jose is a better PG, but say that Lowry is a better overall basketball player because he has more basketball skills. Skills mean dick all unless you use them well, but does he shoot better than Jose? No way on earth. Does he pass better than Jose? No way on earth. Does he make better decisions than Jose? No way. So what exactly are these heightened basketball skills that make him a better basketball player? You speak of driving to the hoop. Yup, he started the year (what 3 games?) being successful with that, but then what happened? Teams started defending that and he found himself driving into a forest of defenders more often than not, having no outlet, and hoisting up some prayer of a circus shot. That's called very bad decision making, but hey, driving to the hoop is his strength, eh, even when it's a hopeless decision.

"He has been dicked around so much this year he can't even throw a lob pass, pitch the ball ahead, or consistently attack the rim anymore."

So Casey's to blame for him not being able to throw a decent lob pass or pitch the ball ahead? Interesting, but laughable. I suppose it's Casey's fault when he stands there whining to the refs while play is headed the other way, just like his buddy Rudy? Or I suppose it's Casey's fault that he constantly leaves his man while ball hawking on D?

"His confidence and thus his decision making is noticeably shaken."

First, word amongst those who are closer to the team is that he's been playing hurt since his early season injury. Might that have something to do with his play, and confidence? Or maybe it's just that the only thing he knows is 1 on 5 street balling, like his Philly hero A.I. and he's having a hard time adjusting to actually playing NBA team ball, instead of the hero ball decision making he's used to, and why two teams already kissed his ass goodbye.

I'm satisfied if Casey can get everyone on the same page defensively. I'm just looking at him as a specialized coach whom can show the team how to play defense properly. We don't really have any players outside of Amir whom specialize on that end of the floor though Fields and Lowry were supposed to bring that. Casey just needs to help us build that one building block as part of our foundation. When we have that down we will be a much better team and we can move onto the next coach who can bring us to the "next" level. Sort of like how Rick Carlisle was replaced by Larry Brown on the Pistons Bench. Carlisle got them to a certain level, but they needed Larry Brown to get them to the next level which resulted in a Championship.

I'm satisfied if Casey can get everyone on the same page defensively. I'm just looking at him as a specialized coach whom can show the team how to play defense properly. We don't really have any players outside of Amir whom specialize on that end of the floor though Fields and Lowry were supposed to bring that. Casey just needs to help us build that one building block as part of our foundation. When we have that down we will be a much better team and we can move onto the next coach who can bring us to the "next" level. Sort of like how Rick Carlisle was replaced by Larry Brown on the Pistons Bench. Carlisle got them to a certain level, but they needed Larry Brown to get them to the next level which resulted in a Championship.

So you give it that Jose is a better PG, but say that Lowry is a better overall basketball player because he has more basketball skills. Skills mean dick all unless you use them well, but does he shoot better than Jose? No way on earth. Does he pass better than Jose? No way on earth. Does he make better decisions than Jose? No way. So what exactly are these heightened basketball skills that make him a better basketball player? You speak of driving to the hoop. Yup, he started the year (what 3 games?) being successful with that, but then what happened? Teams started defending that and he found himself driving into a forest of defenders more often than not, having no outlet, and hoisting up some prayer of a circus shot. That's called very bad decision making, but hey, driving to the hoop is his strength, eh, even when it's a hopeless decision.

"He has been dicked around so much this year he can't even throw a lob pass, pitch the ball ahead, or consistently attack the rim anymore."

So Casey's to blame for him not being able to throw a decent lob pass or pitch the ball ahead? Interesting, but laughable. I suppose it's Casey's fault when he stands there whining to the refs while play is headed the other way, just like his buddy Rudy? Or I suppose it's Casey's fault that he constantly leaves his man while ball hawking on D?

"His confidence and thus his decision making is noticeably shaken."

First, word amongst those who are closer to the team is that he's been playing hurt since his early season injury. Might that have something to do with his play, and confidence? Or maybe it's just that the only thing he knows is 1 on 5 street balling, like his Philly hero A.I. and he's having a hard time adjusting to actually playing NBA team ball, instead of the hero ball decision making he's used to, and why two teams already kissed his ass goodbye.

Maybe put it this way. Pretend you're the team captain, an it's your job to pick the players on your team for a pick-up basketball game going on, near town centre, or whatever.

Who is your choice? Jose Calderon, or Kyle Lowry? From a talent perspective, from a guy who has abilities on both ends of the floor, I'm taking Lowry maybe 8 times out of 10.

There's always questions about a system, playing time, etc, etc. That all goes on in an actually competitive league. But, in a pick-up game, there's no one else but 10 guys on the court, and the most talented team wins.

So you give it that Jose is a better PG, but say that Lowry is a better overall basketball player because he has more basketball skills. Skills mean dick all unless you use them well, but does he shoot better than Jose? No way on earth. Does he pass better than Jose? No way on earth. Does he make better decisions than Jose? No way. So what exactly are these heightened basketball skills that make him a better basketball player? You speak of driving to the hoop. Yup, he started the year (what 3 games?) being successful with that, but then what happened?Teams started defending that and he found himself driving into a forest of defenders more often than not, having no outlet, and hoisting up some prayer of a circus shot. That's called very bad decision making, but hey, driving to the hoop is his strength, eh, even when it's a hopeless decision.

"He has been dicked around so much this year he can't even throw a lob pass, pitch the ball ahead, or consistently attack the rim anymore."

So Casey's to blame for him not being able to throw a decent lob pass or pitch the ball ahead? Interesting, but laughable. I suppose it's Casey's fault when he stands there whining to the refs while play is headed the other way, just like his buddy Rudy? Or I suppose it's Casey's fault that he constantly leaves his man while ball hawking on D?

"His confidence and thus his decision making is noticeably shaken."

First, word amongst those who are closer to the team is that he's been playing hurt since his early season injury. Might that have something to do with his play, and confidence? Or maybe it's just that the only thing he knows is 1 on 5 street balling, like his Philly hero A.I. and he's having a hard time adjusting to actually playing NBA team ball, instead of the hero ball decision making he's used to, and why two teams already kissed his ass goodbye.

He got injured. Casey has mismanaged his talent/abilities all season (square peg, round hole). The Raptors are comprised of players that need to be spoon fed to be successful. The lack of talent has been an issue. The addition of JV, Lowry, and Gay significantly increase the talent on this team.

Lowry is not perfect - far from it. However the issue is he is not being used to his strengths and despite his efforts to evolve in to the type of PG Casey wants, Casey has not evolved to maximize the talent he actually has.